Division II Women

Carolinas Conquered, Can Saints Seize South?

Raquel Prager, pictured here in Limestone's Conference
Carolinas semifinal victory over Queens, would go on to score six
goals in the Saints' championship game triumph of
Pfeiffer.

After weeks of eking close victories, the No. 3 Limestone
women's lacrosse team could finally relax. The Saints won their
fourth consecutive Conference Carolinas tournament Sunday, taking
down No. 15 Pfeiffer 15-5 in the championship game in Charlotte,
N.C.

The end was far less nerve-wracking than the regular season
meeting, when the host Saints survived a scare before winning
7-6.

"We put the whole thing together on Sunday," said Limestone
coach Scott Tucker. "A full 60-minute game, which we hadn't had
since West Chester."

West Chester being Limestone's signature victory, a 16-10 win
over the defending South Region champs in Salem, Va., 38 days
before the conference championship. The Saints stayed undefeated in
between, but certainly made things interesting with tight wins over
New Haven, Merrimack, Pfeiffer, Queens, Belmont Abbey and then
Queens again, 10-8 in the CC semifinals Saturday.

In the semifinals, the top-seeded Saints and fourth-seeded
Royals were tied at six at the break, but Chelsea Treat scored in
the opening minute of the second half to give Limestone the lead
for good. A defensive struggle ensued, Rashelle McLellan made nine
of her 12 saves in the second half, and the Saints held on.

"Our goaltending was exceptional," Tucker said. "I don't know
where we'd be if [McLellan] hadn't been playing as well as she
has."

Limestone kept rolling the next day against Pfeiffer, extending
a 5-2 halftime lead to the 10-point final margin behind Raquel
Prager, who scored four of her game-high six goals after the break,
and Jessica Aguanno, who scored all three of her goals in the
second half.

"We did a lot of [isolated] offense the first time against
them," Tucker said. "We didn't look to those second and third
options. The offense is starting to look for those."

McLellan finished with nine saves as Erin Growney, Melissa
Nakasuji and the Saints' defense held Pfeiffer to five shots in the
second half.

Limestone's complete game couldn't have come at a better time.
The Saints may have wrapped up their fourth straight conference
tournament, and eighth straight regular season title. But the
elusive prize, that first NCAA championship, still remains.

Saturday's trip to No. 4 Lock Haven (13-1) should help show
whether that is attainable.

Lock Haven beat Limestone by one goal last season and in the
2009 playoffs; Limestone beat Lock Haven by one in the 2009 regular
season.

"I don't think we've had many games against them that were by
more that one or two goals," Tucker said. "It's been a big game for
us the past couple of years."

No. 6 West Chester (12-2), the only other team to beat Limestone
in the past two seasons, spoiled what was shaping up to be a battle
of the South region's last two unbeatens. Lock Haven fell at home
to West Chester, which eliminated Limestone by one-goal in the 2009
NCAA tournament, 13-12 on Friday. Still the top seed, and the first
round bye in the NCAA tournament that comes with it, could be on
the line.

After Lock Haven, Limestone gears up for the postseason with
games at Lenoir-Rhyne (6-8) and at home against No. 9 Rollins
(11-3). The Saints appear to be a postseason lock, but they won't
take the rest of their schedule lightly. Stranger things have
happened.

"At this point we go into Lock Haven thinking this is our NCAA
quarterfinal game," Tucker said. "We're excited, but the big thing
is the season's not over. We have a couple of really competitive
teams that will make a direct impact on the standings. We're taking
every game from here on out as if its the conference
championship."